Shehbaz Sharif thanks PM Modi for felicitating him upon re-election as Pakistan’s prime minister

Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for felicitations on his re-election to the top political position in the country.

Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) the Pakistan prime minister said,” "Thank you @narendramodi for felicitations on my election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Shehbaz on taking oath as the 24th prime minister of Pakistan.

Also Read | Cabinet approves 4% hike in Dearness Allowance for government employees

"Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Modi posted on X.

Shehbaz Sharif took the oath as prime minister of Pakistan on Monday nearly a month after an inconclusive election marred by allegations of vote rigging. Pakistan President Arif Alvi administered oath to Sharif at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

Also Read | IndiGo co-founder Rakesh Gangwal invests $20 million in Zetwerk

After taking the oath, Sharif —while addressing the National Assembly—said his government would not allow the country to become part of some "great game" and would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality.

"We will keep ties with neighbours on the basis of equality,” PTI quoted the Pakistan Prime Minister as saying.

Also Read | Mamata Banerjee says BJP spreading fake information about Sandeshkhali

Sharif, however, raked up the Kashmir issue and equated it with Palestine.

The already strained India-Pakistan relations deteriorated in 2016 after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base. The relationship between the two countries further nosedived after India’s warplanes destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019, after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans.

Also Read | Cabinet approves IndiaAI Mission with outlay of ₹10,372 crore: 7 key features

The relations deteriorated further after New Delhi abolished Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories in August 2019.